] WE, therefore, the architects and builders of Dean for
] America, appealing to the Wise Judgment of the American
] people on our Intentions, do, in the Name, and by
] Authority of the good People of these United States,
] solemnly Publish and Declare, the People of these United
] States are, and of Right ought to be, FREE AND
] INDEPENDENT OF SPECIAL INTERESTS and that as FREE AND
] INDEPENDENT CITIZENS, they have full Power to
] participate, deliberate, pursue the common good, protect
] their own interest from corruption, and to do all other
] Acts and Things which INDEPENDENT CITIZENS may of right
] do. And for the support of this Declaration, we mutually
] pledge to each other to write letters, knock on doors,
] organize our neighbors, self- fund this effort, and vote.

Howard Dean today became the first presidential challenger to decline federal matching funds. His supporters (disclosure:including myself) voted 85% to 15% to do so. Perhaps we will now have a chance to defend against Bush's prospective $200M war chest for the presidency.

Dean for America: A Declaration of Independence by the People of Dean for America

Further proof that the Bush administration is off its rocker... as if we needed any further proof.

yeah, this is total BS.

White House Puts Limits on Queries From Democrats (washingtonpost.com)

Even among those who think the public might support a draft, few believe Bush would dare to propose it before the November 2004 election. "It would highlight the cost of an imperial foreign policy, add an incendiary issue to the already emotional protests, and further split the limited-government conservatives." But despite the Pentagon's denials, planners there are almost certainly weighing the numbers just as independent military experts are. And that could explain the willingness to tune up the draft machinery.

...

Not unless his victory has already been decided.

Oiling up the draft machine?

] "He pointed out a relatively remote baseball diamond that
] was enclosed in a chain-link fence," Neel recalled in an
] interview with Salon. "I could see these people behind
] the fence, with their faces up against it, and their
] hands on the wire." (The ACLU posted photos of the
] demonstrators and supporters at that event on its Web
] site.) "It looked more like a concentration camp than a
] free speech area to me, so I said, 'I'm not going in
] there. I thought the whole country was a free speech
] area.'" The detective asked Neel, 66, to go to the area
] six or eight times, and when he politely refused, he
] handcuffed and arrested the retired steelworker on a
] charge of disorderly conduct. When Neel's sister argued
] against his arrest, she was cuffed and hauled off as
] well. The two spent the president's visit in a firehouse
] that was serving as Secret Service and police
] headquarters for the event.
]
] It appears that the Neels' experience is not unique. Late
] last month, on Sept. 23, the American Civil Liberties
] Union filed a lawsuit in a federal court in Philadelphia
] against the Secret Service, alleging that the agency, a
] unit of the new Homeland Security Department charged with
] protecting the president, vice president and other key
] government officials, instituted a policy in the months
] even before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks of instructing
] local police to cordon off protesters from the president
] and Vice President Dick Cheney. Plaintiffs include the
] National Organization for Women, ACORN, USA Action and
] United for Justice, and groups and individuals who have
] been penned up during presidential visits, or arrested
] for refusing to go into a "free speech area," in places
] ranging from California to New Mexico, Missouri,
] Connecticut, New Jersey, South Carolina and elsewhere in
] Pennsylvania.

'I thought the whole country was a free speech zone.'

From the Truth-Is-Stranger-Than-Fiction-Department:

...

A German man is to appear in court charged with teaching his dog to give the Hitler salute.

The black sheepdog-mix, named Adolf, has been taught to lift his right front paw up straight in the salute on command.

Police were called to the scene in Berlin when Roland T, 54, shouted at passers-by last year.

When a patrol arrived, he allegedly showed them the trick he had taught his dog, gave the salute along with Adolf, and shouted: "Sieg Heil."

German man charged with teaching dog Hitler salute

] "Many items needed to establish a laboratory for making
] biological warfare agents were being sold on the Internet
] to the public from DoD's excess property inventory for
] pennies on the dollar, making them both easy and
] economical to obtain," the GAO draft report said.

nice! fucking saddam didn't have any biolabs, but some kid in arizona does...

CNN.com - GAO: Pentagon sold biolab gear - Oct. 6, 2003

] Commentator Rush Limbaugh resigned Wednesday night from
] ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown amid a firestorm that erupted
] over the controversial statements he made this past
] weekend about Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan
] McNabb.
]
] Later Wednesday, the National Enquirer and New York Daily
] News reported that Limbaugh was under investigation in
] Florida for illegally buying and abusing prescription
] painkillers.

LMAO!!!

] "My comments this past Sunday were directed at the media
] and were not racially motivated. I offered an opinion,"
] Limbaugh said in a statement released by ESPN. "This
] opinion has caused discomfort to the crew, which I
] regret.
]
] "I love NFL Sunday Countdown and do not want to be a
] distraction ... Therefore, I have decided to resign," he
] said.
]
] "We accept his resignation and regret the circumstances
] surrounding this," said George Bodenheimer, president of
] ESPN and ABC Sports.
]
] Limbaugh said Sunday that McNabb received undeserved
] credit for his team's success that came from media
] outlets with "social concern" and "very desirous that a
] black quarterback do well."

Who the hell at ESPN woke up one day and decided "Ya know, America isn't subjected to enough of this blow-hard on the airwaves as it is. Lets expand his soap box and make him a sports commentator."

Weird.

LB

Limbaugh quits NFL show amid race flap

] John Ashcroft came under increasing pressure Thursday to
] recuse himself from the CIA leak investigation, with one
] senior Republican senator saying the attorney general
] should consider doing so.

seems like a good idea to me. not that i don't trust john ashcroft.

er.

oh wait, that's right, i don't. at all. my bad.

CNN.com - GOP senator: Ashcroft should consider recusal on leak probe - Oct. 2, 2003

The question for the US is, will the gov't follow through with it's warning that the costs of constructing the wall will be deducted from the money we give israel?

anyone think this fight is *ever* going to end?

CNN.com - Israel approves new construction on security barrier - Oct. 1, 2003

] I just wish that hubris wasn't endangering our national
] security.

hear-hear. maybe the media will finally do some legitimate reporting on this issue. maybe. i mean, not FOX, but someone...

Daily Kos: Plame's former classmate vents